Shares in the British wine retailer climbed 15% after it reported a 4% rise in like-for-like sales over the festive period.

With the average bottle price jumping more than 7% to £7.13, chief executive Steve Lewis said that consumers had treated themselves to pricier wine over the Christmas holidays.

Sales to restaurants and gastropubs also rose. While champagne sales were more muted, Majestic benefited from strong demand for sparkling wine and prosecco. New Zealand sauvignon blanc and Argentinian malbec maintained their popularity, while demand for classic French wines picked up.

Majestic said consumers left their spending until later than a year ago – it hired an extra 70 staff members to handle the last-minute rush.

Investec Securities and Collins Stewart both reiterated their "buy" stances on the firm. "Normal service has been resumed at Majestic with a typically robust sales performance over the key Christmas trading period," Investec said.

Collins Stewart said Majestic should enjoy a decent year, citing the Queen's diamond jubilee, Euro 2012 and the Olympics as "positive catalysts".